Page Header Graphic

Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust’s Grantmaking Highlights Nonprofits’ Dedication to Children and Youth

VIRGINIA G. PIPER CHARITABLE TRUST Press Release
November 18, 2015

Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust’s Grantmaking Highlights Nonprofits’ Dedication to Children and Youth

PHOENIX, Ariz.—Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust’s recent investments support a range of nonprofits in their solution-oriented missions. This compilation of grants will help advance the health, well-being, and development of our community’s children and teens—some examples include:

  • Founded by the American Heart Association and the Clinton Foundation, the Alliance for a Healthier Generation works nationally to reduce childhood obesity and empower children to make healthy lifestyle choices. The Alliance will assist 50 afterschool sites throughout Maricopa County with implementation of programs that improve children’s access to healthy foods and physical activity.
  • New Pathways for Youth will be enhancing its already transformative mentoring program—new services will include life enrichment workshops and activities for its students in addition to ongoing training and support for mentors and parents. Annually, the organization serves more than 500 youth who face challenging family circumstances and are in great need of mentoring and leadership development.
  • Since 2009, more than 350,000 parents have received the Arizona Parent Kit before departing a hospital or birthing center with their newborn. The comprehensive kit contains resources to help parents support their child in each phase of early development—materials span areas such as health, safety, child care, and early literacy. First Things First administers the Parent Kit. The Centers for Habilitation handles production and is working to enhance the distribution process and meet increasing demand; approximately 75,000 Parent Kits are distributed throughout the state annually.
  • To ensure that medically fragile babies and their families have access to comprehensive services as they transition home from neonatal intensive care units—a statewide collaboration of agencies, parent groups, medical professionals, and insurance companies formed the Smooth Way Home Community Taskforce. Southwest Human Development leads the effort and is enhancing and expanding the Smooth Way Home program.

“Piper Trust’s recent grantmaking showcases a depth and breadth of nonprofit work that strengthens and supports young lives in our community. It is incredibly inspiring to note the many collaborative partnerships represented in this collection of grants—from new ways to partner on children’s healthcare to providing arts and culture opportunities for underserved students—as our 2015 Encore Career Prize Awardee, Russ Perlich, is doing through Act One,” said Susan Pepin, M.D., president and CEO, Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust.

Following is the list of grants awarded April through November 2015 by grantmaking area; grants for this period total more than $6.8 million.

ARTS AND CULTURE—TOTAL AWARDED:  $905,400

Desert Botanical Garden
Support efforts to strengthen nonprofit board governance practices and leadership (Good Governance Fund).
$15,000 / 12 months

Phoenix Chamber Music Society
Develop business and marketing plans.
$55,000 / 12 months

Phoenix Conservatory of Music
Develop and implement comprehensive fundraising and marketing policies and strategies.
$117,000 / 36 months

The Phoenix Symphony
Upgrade technology to support expanded strategic marketing and audience development.
$718,400 / 24 months

CHILDREN—TOTAL AWARDED:  $3,900,000

Alliance for a Healthier Generation, Inc.
Implement “Healthy Out-of-School Time” initiative for youth at 50 Maricopa County sites.
$255,000 / 36 months

Arizona Helping Hands
Support facility and technology upgrades to improve services for foster children and families.
$75,000 / 12 months

Association of Arizona Food Banks
Implement outreach program to reduce child hunger.
$165,000 / 36 months

Boys & Girls Clubs of Metropolitan Phoenix
Build new gymnasium for after-school programs.
$750,000 / 12 months

Foundation for Blind Children
Expand the school’s early learning programs and establish new vision clinic (Capital Campaign).
$1,000,000 / 24 months

Girl Scouts Arizona Cactus-Pine Council, Inc.
Support completion of new Leadership Center for Girls and Women (Capital Campaign).
$1,500,000 / 24 months

Lutheran Social Services of the Southwest
Support efforts to strengthen nonprofit board governance practices and leadership (Good Governance Fund).
$15,000 / 12 months

New Pathways for Youth
Expand and enhance youth mentoring training for staff, volunteers, and parents.
$125,000 / 24 months

The Centers for Habilitation
Replace equipment and technology to improve distribution of Arizona Parent Kit.
$15,000 / 12 months

EDUCATION—TOTAL AWARDED:  $320,000

Arizona Community Foundation
Explore potential Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) mentoring program for young women in Maricopa County.
$20,000 / 12 months

Jobs for Arizona’s Graduates, Inc.
Expand college and career readiness program for at-risk youth.
$300,000 / 36 months

HEALTHCARE AND MEDICAL RESEARCH—TOTAL AWARDED:  $597,000

Arizona Coalition for Tomorrow Charitable Fund, Inc.
Support comprehensive healthcare screenings for low-income children.
$86,000 / 36 months

Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine and Health Sciences
Support efforts to strengthen nonprofit board governance practices and leadership (Good Governance Fund).
$15,000 / 12 months

Southwest Human Development
Implement comprehensive continuum of care from hospital to home for fragile infants and their families.
$496,000 / 36 months

OLDER ADULTS—TOTAL AWARDED:  $738,000

Act One
Support in honor of Mr. Russ Perlich, founder of Act One and the 2015 Piper Trust Encore Career Prize Awardee.
$50,000 / 12 months

Arizona Commission on the Arts
Support training and development for artists and organizations positioned to execute creative aging programs for older adults.
$225,000 / 36 months

Banner Alzheimer’s Foundation
Support physician education/training to enhance dementia care.
$83,000 / 12 months

Experience Matters Consortium, Inc.
Update strategic plan and expand program tools.
$200,000 / 12 months

Foundation for Senior Living
Support efforts to strengthen nonprofit board governance practices and leadership (Good Governance Fund).
$15,000 / 12 months

Regional Community Partners
Support organizational development efforts for three age-friendly community sites.
$40,000 / 12 months

Southern Arizona Association for the Visually Impaired
Implement health and wellness program in Maricopa County for blind/visually impaired older adults.
$125,000 / 18 months

RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATIONS—TOTAL AWARDED:  $300,000

Society of St. Vincent de Paul
Implement marketing and fundraising project.
$300,000 / 7 months

OTHER—TOTAL AWARDED:  $70,000

Arizona Community Foundation
Support a funding collaborative for the Nonprofit Capacity Building Landscape Project.
$10,000 / 12 months

Lodestar Day Resource Center
Support emergency shelter needs.
$60,000 / 12 months

About Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust:
Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust supports organizations that enrich health, well-being, and opportunity for the people of Maricopa County, Arizona. Since it began awarding grants in 2000, Piper Trust has invested more than $347 million in local nonprofits and programs. Piper Trust grantmaking areas are healthcare and medical research, children, older adults, arts and culture, education, and religious organizations. For more information, visit www.pipertrust.org. Follow us on Twitter @PiperTrust; visit us on Facebook. View Piper Trust’s FY14 Annual Report at: www.pipertrust.org/annualreport2014

###

MEDIA CONTACT:

Karen Leland, 480-556-7125 / [email protected]
Director, Communications and External Relations
Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust, 1202 East Missouri Avenue, Phoenix, Arizona 85014